07 December 2013

Oakshott Cottons? Yes please!

I have been a little shy to try Oakshott cottons in the past, wondering about their durability and how they would be to sew with.

Since this is my first time sewing with them, I'm not sure about their durability, but I now know they sew like a dream. (Do any of you have any long term experience with laundering Oakshott cottons and can give me your thoughts about how they hold up with many washings?)

**update** after I posted this, Michael Oakshott emailed and said this about the durability question I had: "Washing : I'd be very surprised if anyone has any problems. We use vat dyes and they are known to give cottons the best results to light, washing and rubbing fastness. The main contra indication is of course with any chlorine based product as that strips the colour straight out of cotton. Other care instructions are wash in warm water up to 40C and iron whilst damp. Shrinkage 3-5% as is normal with cotton (the hanks are all boil washed for 8-10 hours before dyeing)".

Thanks to Lynne putting me in touch with the Oakshott people, they sent me a fat eighth of the Lake bundle.

I was immediately enthralled with the sheen and shimmer of the fabrics and the colors of the crossweave threads.

I can definitely say I am a convert. The hand is outrageously good and the sheen/shimmer is magnificent. They lend a special touch to this scarf (pattern from Malka Dubrawsky's book Fresh Quilting) compared to normal solids, adding depth and interest. I really wish I could send a photo that shows the shimmer, but I just couldn't achieve that with a photo.

If you live in the US and want to try some for yourself, Tammy at Marmalade Fabrics has a small selection here, and it looks like she will be getting more soon!

Yowza Penny - that scarf is delcious!! What a fabulous design! I've had my eye on the Oakshott for a long time! I've seen so many posts from Australia using this fabric and have wondered many times when we'd be seeing it here! I can't wait to order some!